St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-10-15
DIGGING FOR TOADS
Buried Fifty Years Ago in Metal Cases to
Settle Dispute,


1t is pretty generally conceded nova
days that the belief concerning the abil-
ity Of toads and frogs to live for wears,
perhaps for centuries, shut up in place
where air cannot reach them, and where
they can obtain no food, is more
or less delusive. Still there are some who
entertain it. Consequently, there was
considerable interest, and good deal of
speculation, concerning the result of the
ceremony that was announced to take
place few days ago in Northumberland
1t had gone forth to the public, says the
Newcastle Chronic'e, that Mr.. r. Reed, Of
Telling, would, at noon, commence the
exhumation of some toads which
he had entombed there more than
fifty years ago. The precise circum-
stances under which the reptiles were
buried are briefly these: In the year
1888, Just tifty-four years ago, Mr..
Reed lived at Wagonman's row, and in q
certain cottage in the row there lived a
young lady who subsequently became
Mrs Reed Mr. Reed was a frequent
visitor to this cottage, behind which
there was garden where the vegetables
for the household were grown. There
were other cottages in the same row,
each with it's little kitchen garden and
there the cottages still remain, with their
red tiles and whitewashed walls, making
as picturesque little village as one
might care to see. Just about that time
a railway close by was in progress, and
during some blasting operations frog
had skipped out from among the pieces
of stone, and there was much discussion
as to whether or not the creature had
been actually living in the body of the
stone.
Mr.. Reed took considerable interest in
the discussion that went on, and wished
to satisfy himself as to the possibility or
otherwise of such thing. Accordingly.
he procured a couple of toads, and
placed each in metal pan. There was
on one side of the garden cross hedge,
with a narrow path running alongside
of it. In this path or "trod," as it Is TO-
callv called at depth of a foot or fourteen
inches, Mr.. Reed buried his toads in their
metal cotfins, using the bushes as land
marks by which he might subsequently
identify their respective burial places,
some years pdsetu' oLlu
wears ago Mr. Reed left Washing
ton, but the incident of the frogs
was never quite forgotten. 1t was
not till yesterday that an attempt way
made to reach the creatures. Mr.. keed
had not been in the place for torty,,lour
wears, and he reckoned on being able 10
point out the burial places wlthou.
difficulty. But the lapse OF time nau
brought many changes. The hedge unoer
which he had dug the graves was no" 10
more, and a wooden paling, that W 3S
itself tottering to pieces from sheer oiI
age, was there in its place. Inc poulAH
aries of the garden had been altered
and the old path had been oVergr row.
bv grass, or covered with TunDisH'
Many families had followed eacn
other in the occupation OF the co''ase'
and only the oldest in the village remelh,
bered the displacement of the heuSe anu
the substitution of the pallng me sl'e9
of the interments were consequently W
be arrived at only by guess WORK; pu.
Mr.. Reed made calculation OF INC st'o'
where the toads were most Hkeiy " W.
and a stalwart Young miner set TO WOLF
and threw out the loose soil with won
derful aacrity. At length, after molo
than an hours digging, the search Td ~
for the time being abandoned, though II
win POSSIBLY be resumed. Thus, the re-
suit of Mr.. Reeds experiment mas o ena
to leave the question still an open oA0
for the wise men to discuss